Solid state radiation detectors, such as neutron detectors and gamma ray detectors, have been proposed as alternatives to gas-tube based detectors. For example, a solid state radiation detector can include a radiation-detecting hetero-structure having a radiation-detecting material embedded within a semiconductor substrate. When radiation impinges upon such a radiation detector, the radiation-detecting material can respond to the radiation by releasing charged reaction products. In such a case, the semiconductor substrate can be used to collect the charged reaction products and indicate a radiation detection event.
For instance, radiation-detecting hetero-structures may be formed by using physical etching processes, such as reactive ion etching (RIE) to form trenches in a semiconductor substrate, followed by using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to deposit radiation-detecting material within the formed trenches. However, RIE and CVD processes are quite complicated, requiring expensive specialized equipment, and can lead to poor fill ratios of radiation-detecting material. Therefore a need exists for enhanced methods for fabricating radiation-detecting structures at reduced cost and complexity, to overcome the limitations of existing methods.